AFGHANISTAN: ETHNIC UZBEK WARLORD ABDUL RASHID DOSTRUM APPOINTED DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER IN COUNTRY'S NEW INTERIM GOVERNMENT CABINET

Record ID: 208345

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: ETHNIC UZBEK WARLORD ABDUL RASHID DOSTRUM APPOINTED DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER IN COUNTRY'S NEW INTERIM GOVERNMENT CABINET
  • Date: 24th December 2001
  • Summary: (W4) KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (DECEMBER 24,2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/SLV/MV: EXTERIOR OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE; GUARDS OUTSIDE (3 SHOTS) 0.18 2. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERIM LEADER HAMID KARZAI WALKING OUT ANSWERING QUESTION: HOW WERE YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH GENERAL DOSTUM? SAYING: "Wonderful, we have a very old, good relationship with my brother General Dostum and I'm glad to announce today that with the proposal of our minister of defence, General Dostum has been appointed the deputy minister for defence in Afghanistan and today his letter of appointment was given to him by the minister of defence and I signed it gladly and everything is perfectly good." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KARZAI ANSWERING QUESTION: IS THIS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A NATIONAL ARMY IN AFGHANISTAN? SAYING: "Ask him." KARZAI ASKING MINISTER OF DEFENCE OF AFGHAN INTERIM GOVERNMENT KASIM FAHIM SAME QUESTION AND ANSWERING FOR HIM: "Yes it is." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KARZAI ANSWERING QUESTION: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET THE ARMY TOGETHER AS A UNIT? SAYING: "Well we have made the first steps and it will go on." (SOUNDBITES) (Dari), GENERAL RASHID DOSTUM, SAYING: "I am very happy that all our efforts to create the new government has been solved and also we show that we are ready to make the army of Afghanistan. General Fahim has asked me to become his deputy Defence Minister and I am grateful for that". 2.11 3. SV: DOSTUM TALKING TO JOURNALISTS 2.17 4. SCU'S: (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) GENERAL KASIM FAHIM, MINISTER OF DEFENCE OF AFGHAN INTERIM GOVERNMENT: "As we have decided earlier that British soldiers will stay in Afghanistan not longer than for six months." (2 SHOTS) 2.47 5. SV: KARZAI PASSING THROUGH JOURNALISTS; SHAKING HANDS WITH MINISTERS 3.00 6. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) KARZAI ANSWERING QUESTION: HOW MUCH OF THE FIRST INSTALMENT OF AID FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? SAYING: "As much as we can possibly get at this time. Thank you." 3.11 7. SV'S: HAMID KARZAI, DOSTUM AND FAHIM LEAVING (2 SHOTS) 3.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA3GTAOOKSXE2IHYOTVG52G1I1P
  • Story Text: The ethnic Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum has been
    appointed Afghanistan's deputy defence minister in the new
    interim government cabinet in an effort to build a national
    army.



    The new Afghan interim government chairman Hamid Karzai
    and Defence Minister Kasim Fahim met on Monday (December 24)
    with general Rashid Dostum to discuss the cabinet of ministers
    nomination.

    At this meeting General Rashid Dostum accepted the
    nomination as a deputy Defence Minister in the interim Afghan
    government.

    He said he was still investigating the U.S. bombing last
    week of a convoy that the U.S. military said was carrying
    al-Qaeda leaders and in which some 60 people were killed.

    Witnesses said the convoy carried tribal leaders en
    route to Kabul to congratulate the new leader.


    (mb/rb)

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